FAQ on virtualization

With VMware’s success, vendors have begun touting virtualization products for every layer of the infrastructure, but management and security lag behind.

By Network World staff, Network World
November 11, 2006 12:01 AM ET

. What's this?

What is virtualization?

What is the ideal way to deploy virtualization?

What are the drawbacks of using virtualization?

What is the status of virtualization standards?

When is a product not really virtualization but something else?

What is virtualization?

Virtualization is software that separates a run-time process from the underlying infrastructure that supports the process. Server virtualization, for instance, separates the application from the physical server. It is the most widely deployed example but virtualization vendors are emerging for every layer in the infrastructure including network, storage, desktop, application, database, user interface - even security and mobility.

What is the ideal way to deploy virtualization?

Although enterprises gain incremental benefits from applying virtualization in one area, they gain much more by using it across every tier of the IT infrastructure. For example, when server virtualization is deployed with network and storage virtualization, servers gain the ability to boot in a different data center for disaster-recovery purposes.

What are the drawbacks of using virtualization?

Not all virtualization technologies are equally mature. Whereas server virtualization has hit its stride, other areas are not as far along. And getting the various virtualized pieces to work together cohesively can be a big challenge. When performance issues crop up, conducting a root cause analysis becomes more difficult.

Also, many security systems do not yet support virtualization. For instance, common security devices, such as firewalls, may still operate on the assumption that an IP address represents a static association to a specific piece of equipment. This makes it difficult to move resources around without impacting the security device. Technologies such as federated ID and digital certificates are heading in the right direction, and recent moves by Cisco and others to add more security within switches and routers also are positive signs. But placing the security in the virtualization product itself would be the best solution.